Congratulations to Hartt Theatre Alumna, Christine Dwyer.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
5 Questions with Ben Bilello
Ben
Bilello (BM ’99), studied Jazz Studies/African American
Music (percussion) at Hartt from 1995 to 1999. He is currently living in
Durham, Connecticut.
What have you been up to since you graduated from Hartt?
I have been a full time professional
musician, private instructor, jazz and
percussion educator and clinician since I graduated in 1999. I have performed
and/or recorded with Mulgrew Miller, Eddie Henderson, Branford Marsalis, Anthony Braxton, Javon
Jackson, Charles Flores, Curtis Fuller, Larry Willis, George Cables, Steve
Davis and Charmaine Clamor, as well as many others.
I was a faculty member of the Greater
Hartford Academy of the Arts from 2005 to 2013. While there, I taught
percussion, jazz drumming, rudimental drumming and music theory.
I met my wife, Lauren, in 2001. We were
married in 2007. We have a son, Michael, who just turned one year old in
January.
I have a small side business in the fly
fishing industry. I stopped fishing after leaving for college, but got back
into it in my late twenties. My favorite quarry is the Atlantic salmon. I
traveled to Russia’s Kola Peninsula, 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle, in
June 2012. I fished the Kola and Kitza Rivers, renowned for having some of the
world’s largest and toughest Atlantic salmon.
What are you involved with right now?
At the moment, my most important job is
raising my son. I had to cut back on teaching and I can’t take every gig that
is offered, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I perform as much as possible, most
notably in trio collaboration with pianist Laurence Hobgood and bassist Henry
Lugo.
For the past few months, I have been
working with Javon Jackson, the new chair of the Hartt’s Jackie McLean Jazz
Institute. Under Professor Jackson’s leadership, and along with fellow Hartt
alumni Stephen Porter and Andrew Renfroe, we have given clinics at local
schools and lecture/performances as part of the University of Harford’s
President’s College.
I will be appearing on two albums to be
released in the very near future. One is with vocalist Atla DeChamplain and
pianist Matt DeChamplain, both Hartt alumni. The other, with vocalist June
Bisantz, is a tribute to trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker.
I teach one day a week at UConn’s
Community School of the Arts. Within the past year, I have built a home
teaching and rehearsal studio. I offer lessons throughout the week as my
schedule allows.
What is one of your most memorable things about your time at Hartt?
Having the opportunity to study with
Professor Jackie McLean was a terrific experience. He was truly a pioneer in
the field of jazz education. Studying (and frequently playing) with a musician
of Professor McLean’s pedigree and magnitude is not something most college jazz
students have the chance to do. I feel extremely fortunate to have been at
Hartt while Professor McLean was teaching there.
What did you learn during your time at Hartt that you did not appreciate or recognize until after time passed and you had some time to reflect?
When I look back, I am amazed at how
much free time I had compared to now. It certainly didn’t feel that way when I
was a student. I practiced a fair amount while I was at Hartt, usually around
four to six hours a day. Despite being fairly diligent, I could have made
better use of the free time I had
(instead of hanging around the Hartt hallways or shooting pool at Gengras or
the Hawk’s Nest).
Having a place to practice regularly
was a luxury I took for granted. Until I became a homeowner, finding a place to
practice was tricky at times. Now that I have a dedicated practice space (and a
family), finding the time is the main issue.
What is next for you?
In terms of professional endeavors, I
have no idea. I have always taken opportunities as they arise. Often times they
are unexpected. I have made my living as an accompanist, which I love, but I’d
like to start to devote more time to projects under my own leadership.
Thanks, Ben. If you want people to get in touch, how can they do so?
You can visit my website at
www.benbilello.com or email me at ben@benbilello.com
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Ed Alton - 2014 Hartt Alumni Award Recipient
Bachelor of Music,
Double Bass/Composition '81
Hartt Alumni Award 2014
The Hartt School is pleased to announce that Ed Alton, BMus ’81 will be honored with the 2014 Hartt Alumni Award at the annual Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 18, 2014. The award honors an alumnus who has achieved professional and critical recognition of distinguished professional accomplishments as an artist, scholar, or educator in an area of the performing arts.
Mr. Alton has sustained an impressive career in the Los Angeles TV, film and recording industries for nearly thirty years. To date, he has composed scores for over 530 episodes of 31 different prime time network TV series and performed as bassist on over 70 feature film soundtracks. His career has been distinguished by numerous accolades including five ASCAP Top TV Composer Awards, an Emmy Nomination, and several Gold & Platinum record awards.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Hartt Guitar Department - 50th Anniversary Celebration
The following post is copied from the Alumni Newsletter of The Hartt School's Guitar Department. I am re-posting it here to further encourage everyone to attend the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Guitar Department.
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Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration
**************
Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration
Hello all,
Plans are moving surprisingly smoothly for our fiftieth
anniversary celebration. Thanks to grants from the Augustine Foundation and
LaBella Strings as well as contributions by several of our alumni we are $1000.
away from raising the necessary $14,500. needed to underwrite the cost of
Andrew York’s concert and the commissioning of Frank Wallace’s incredible
eight-part work, As it Could Be, for the celebration. I’m hoping that many of you will be
able to contribute to the fund so that we can reach our goal. No gift is too
small or too large. If you are so inclined, please make the check payable to
the University of Hartford and send it to me % The Hartt School, 200 Bloomfield
Ave., W. Hartford, CT 06117. I would like to be able to say that all of the
money raised came from Foundations or alumni.
What do we have planned?
Friday, April 11:
7:30 Auerbach Auditorium: Solo Recital
by Andy York.
We begin the celebration with a concert by Andy York. Andy has been a friend of the department for
many years and has graciously altered his fee to meet our limited resources.
After the concert, we will hang out at the Republic, our new hangout just one
mile from the University.
Saturday, April 12:
Saturday we have a full schedule of events. All events are
in Millard
9:00 AM -11:00AM Open rehearsals At this point we are not sure what groups performing that evening will be rehearsing.
11:30-12:30: Suzuki guitar presentation. Nick Cutroneo
12:30-1:30: John LaBarbara. New music for guitar
1:30- Break
2:00 -5:00: Rehearsal for Attic by Andrew York alumni, students, faculty community. This will be the concluding work
on this evening’s program
9:00 AM -11:00AM Open rehearsals At this point we are not sure what groups performing that evening will be rehearsing.
11:30-12:30: Suzuki guitar presentation. Nick Cutroneo
12:30-1:30: John LaBarbara. New music for guitar
1:30- Break
2:00 -5:00: Rehearsal for Attic by Andrew York alumni, students, faculty community. This will be the concluding work
on this evening’s program
5:00- 7:30: Dinner Break: If enough people are interested,
the Republic will make the restaurant available to us for dinner.
8:00 PM: Anniversary Concert: World Premiere of Frank Wallace’s As It Could Be, made possible by a grant from the
Augustine Foundation.
1) Changes Upon the Guitar, violin, viola and seven guitars
2) A Tune Beyond Us, violin, viola and guitar
3) A Wisp in the Underground, guitar solo
4) If to Serenade, flute and guitar
5) Tom-tom, c'est moi, percussion and guitar
6) The Whirling Noise, viola and guitar
7) Crying Among the Clouds, guitar solo
8) A World Quite Round, guitar quartet
NOTES
These eight works comprise As It Could Be, a chamber suite dedicated to the Hartt School of Music Guitar Department and it's founder/director Richard Provost on the occasion of their 50th anniversary. Dick suggested using The Man with the Blue Guitar by Wallace Stevens (a resident of Hartford, CT) as a source of lyrics for a song. I chose to use this incredible testimony to art as inspiration and have selected titles for all 8 pieces from the poem. Thank you Dick (and all your colleagues) who brought the guitar out of the dark ages and into a brilliant new community of creativity and progress through your courage, hard work and vision. Let us imagine a future as it could be.
2) A Tune Beyond Us, violin, viola and guitar
3) A Wisp in the Underground, guitar solo
4) If to Serenade, flute and guitar
5) Tom-tom, c'est moi, percussion and guitar
6) The Whirling Noise, viola and guitar
7) Crying Among the Clouds, guitar solo
8) A World Quite Round, guitar quartet
NOTES
These eight works comprise As It Could Be, a chamber suite dedicated to the Hartt School of Music Guitar Department and it's founder/director Richard Provost on the occasion of their 50th anniversary. Dick suggested using The Man with the Blue Guitar by Wallace Stevens (a resident of Hartford, CT) as a source of lyrics for a song. I chose to use this incredible testimony to art as inspiration and have selected titles for all 8 pieces from the poem. Thank you Dick (and all your colleagues) who brought the guitar out of the dark ages and into a brilliant new community of creativity and progress through your courage, hard work and vision. Let us imagine a future as it could be.
The concert will conclude with a performance of Attic, by Andy York performed by
students, area guitarists, and alumni of the department.
If you will be attending and want to play in the guitar
orchestra, (which I hope many of you will) please send Chris an email so that
we can send you your part. (ladd@hartford.edu.Our goal is to have at least
fifty guitarists on stage performing. If you are timid, rest assured that we
will have a core group that has rehearsed and will cover all of the parts. They
will be happy to help you during the rehearsal to get you comfortable for the
performance. For those of you who have not been doing much with the guitar,
this work was written for amateurs. There are several pretty basic parts in the
work. If you’re still not sure, let Chris know and he will email you a part to
see if your are up to the challenge.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Hartt's Honorary Degrees Given in the 2000s
Between 2003 and 2009, Hartt awarded 5 Honorary Degrees. The recipients were: Wynton Marsalis; Oscar Ghiglia; William Anthony Waters; Henry W, “Hank” Jones; and Donald Sinta.
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2003 Wynton Marsalis
I don't think Mr. Marsalis needs an introduction.
Here is a link to Mr. Marsalis' website.
2004 Oscar Ghiglia
Oscar Ghiglia, an Italian classical guitarist, spent time in residence at Hartt.
Additional information on Mr. Ghiglia can be found on his Wikipedia page.
2005 William Anthony Waters
Maestro Waters was a truly deserved recipient of the honorary degree from Hartt after his many years as a leader in the Connecticut arts community (which is not to say his music career and talents were limited to Connecticut, as he enjoys a career well-beyond the borders of the Nutmeg State).
Additional information about Maestro Waters can be found here.
*****************************
2003 Wynton Marsalis
I don't think Mr. Marsalis needs an introduction.
Here is a link to Mr. Marsalis' website.
2004 Oscar Ghiglia
Oscar Ghiglia, an Italian classical guitarist, spent time in residence at Hartt.
Additional information on Mr. Ghiglia can be found on his Wikipedia page.
2005 William Anthony Waters
Maestro Waters was a truly deserved recipient of the honorary degree from Hartt after his many years as a leader in the Connecticut arts community (which is not to say his music career and talents were limited to Connecticut, as he enjoys a career well-beyond the borders of the Nutmeg State).
Additional information about Maestro Waters can be found here.
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